The Rural Alaska Honors Institute from the University of Alaska Fairbanks celebrated its 2025 graduating class last Thursday at the Troth Yeddha’ campus. The six-week program gave students an opportunity to earn up to 10 college credits, with 42 students from 32 rural Alaska communities taking part this year.
Neva Horton is a student at Nome-Beltz High School. She said RAHI prepared her for life as a college student.
“I now know my way around campus, and I did not think that Fairbanks had such a beautiful, well equipped campus with so much technology, and it's so close together,” Horton said.
Joining Horton from the Bering Strait region were Luke Kokeok from Shishmaref, Donald Olson from Golovin and Kivé Shannon from Nome.
The program immersed students in the college experience, including living with roommates, eating campus food, taking part in late night study sessions and attending early-morning classes.
“I got to meet some of the instructors, which I would have if I went here,” Horton said. “I got that pre-college experience. I took quite a few things away from it.”
The program builds in time for fun too. Students canoed on the Chena River and traveled to Denali National Park for white water rafting. They also did community service for elders in the area and took part in an Olympics-style competition.
At Thursday’s graduation ceremony, RAHI staff and UAF leadership presented awards for outstanding achievers. They shared stories and inside jokes, highlighting the students’ experience for friends and family in the crowd.
Dr. Charlene Stern oversees UAF’s rural campuses through a number of roles she’s currently serving. She used her time on stage to congratulate the students for their efforts.
“I know that it takes a lot of determination to show up every day in a university setting, in an environment that may be very different than the one that you're used to,” Stern said. “That's a big job. It's not easy, but I can tell you that the journey is so worth it.”
Savoonga’s Jacob Iya, a current UAF student and RAHI Assistant Dorm Director, concluded the ceremony with a formal presentation of the graduating class.
“All rows. Please rise. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the RAHI class of 2025,” he said to applause from the crowd.
Dressed in black caps and gowns, the students stood, flung their caps into the air, and sang and danced an Alaska Native song as they filed out of the room.
Students attend RAHI at no cost, thanks to support from: Alaska Airlines, The Alaska Community Foundation, the Alaska IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE), Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, ConocoPhillips, Donlin Gold, First National Bank of Alaska, the Sustaining Indigenous and Local Knowledge, Arts, and Teaching (SILKAT) grant, the Technical Vocational Education Program (TVEP), the USDA Drumbeats Alaska Consortium, private donors, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
